The newspaper spoke to Bill Bohannan, who witnessed the explosion. He was visiting his parents at their house in West.

"I said, 'This thing is going to blow' ... and I told my mom and dad to get in the car," Bohannan told the paper. "I was standing next to my car with my fiancee, waiting for my parents to come out and (the plant) exploded. It knocked us into the car... Every house within about four blocks is blown apart."

Reporter Becky Fogel of member station KWBU tells our Newscast team that many elderly residents of the nearby nursing home are outside the local community center. They are being put on school buses. She says there are many ambulances and emergency vehicles in the area.

"Authorities set up a staging area on the local high school's football field, which was lit up with floodlights. Ambulances and several dozen injured people could be seen being taken away or seated in wheelchairs as they are treated and await transport.